Cass Review

Mr Richard Holden, the Member of Parliament for Basildon and Billericay, asked the Minister for Secondary Care, Karin Smyth, what steps the Government is taking with Cabinet colleagues to implement the recommendations of the Cass review. The Minister responded that the Cass review is a robust report backed by clinicians and firmly grounded in evidence, and that the Government and NHS England will be implementing Dr Cass's recommendations in full, so that children and young people get the safe, holistic care and support they need. Mr Holden followed up, stating that Dr Cass's review was an important moment for services for young people in the country, and asked the Minister to restate the Government's commitment to ensuring that all the review's findings, which are based on evidence ahead of ideology, are implemented. He also asked the Minister to reject calls from various vested interest groups to pause implementation, and press ahead as quickly as possible to protect vulnerable young people. The Minister reiterated that the Government is absolutely committed to implementing all of Dr Cass's evidence-based review in full. Tonia Antoniazzi, the Member of Parliament for Gower, thanked the Minister for the robust response from the Labour Government to support the Cass review, and asked the Minister to confirm that she is having robust conversations with devolved Governments about its implementation across the United Kingdom. The Minister responded that the Secretary of State has met the leaders of all the devolved Administrations to discuss the intention to work with them very closely across all issues that come under the Government's sphere, including the Cass recommendations. Joy Morrissey, the Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield, thanked the Minister for taking up the recommendations of the Cass review, and stated that children struggling with their gender identity deserve protection and a holistic, understanding approach via the new NHS centres, rather than irreversible medical and surgical intervention. She asked the Minister to confirm that the British Medical Association's original position that the Cass review contained unsubstantiated recommendations will not delay that protection being put in place for vulnerable children. The Minister reiterated that the Government is absolutely committed to implementing the Cass review's evidence-based recommendations in full.